Michigan Vendor Spotlight: 1928 Planning Co.

Michigan Vendor Spotlight: 1928 Planning Co.

Our goal in doing these vendor spotlights is to highlight and give credit to some of the amazing vendors we get the pleasure of working with here in our little corner of Southwest Michigan. But truth be told, no spotlight can shine bright enough to give the amount of credit that is due to our friends at 1928 Planning Co. If you are a numbers person, their numbers speak for themselves. Seven years as a premier Michigan Wedding Planner, over 800 events to their credit, and an (almost!) embarrassing amount of awards from top wedding companies. Put simply, these ladies know what they’re doing and they do it well.

But all of these accolades aren’t what sets 1928 Planning Co. apart from the other Michigan wedding planners – it’s their heart and passion for what they do and for the couples they serve. Yes, we know that’s a bit on the sappy side but it’s the most accurate way to frame the reason for their success. Having worked alongside this company for all seven years, we can say with confidence that getting married at The Vineyard wouldn’t be the awesome experience it is without their dedication. 

From days starting before dawn steaming linens to late nights spent stoking the fire pit, 1928 Planning shows up and rocks these events every.single.time. They have seen and done so much and yet – they will still tear up if they witness a first look, they will laugh sincerely at best man speeches, and they will gladly accept the hugs from couples at the end of the night who “couldn’t have done this without them”. This is who they are – as individuals and as a company – and those are the people you want by your side for one of your most important days.

Now that our gushing is through – we thought the best way for you to get to know them like we do was to sit down for a little Q&A. Let me assure you, you’ll want to read and screenshot and save all of these answers because there are some valuable and time-tested tips here! So we present to you: 

 

Michigan Wedding Planner : 1928 Planning Co.

All answers are a combination from 1928’s Lead Planners!

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE WEDDING PLANNING AS YOUR CAREER PATH?

A:  Wish I had your answer… lol. I’d say mixing creativity with organization and structure was the draw. The planning and process is the same but the product is always different, so it’s hard to get in a rut when it comes to the output of what we do. 

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MOMENT DURING A WEDDING DAY?

A: 30 minutes before guests arrive when the venue decor sits perfectly as it should. I also love the minute before we send a bride or groom down the aisle and tell them to soak it in, live presently and enjoy it. We’re really lucky to be so close to an intimate moment like that.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE WEDDING FROM A MOVIE?

A: This won’t be the lovey-dovey movie you’re probably looking for, but I love “ I Love You, Man” and “Bridesmaids” and “27 Dresses”. They are all funny takes on the dynamics of wedding planning, relationships and friendships and they poke fun at the many stereotypes and nuances of wedding planning.

 

WHAT IS A COMPLIMENT YOU’VE RECEIVED FROM A CLIENT THAT YOU’LL NEVER FORGET?

A1: I’ve been called a friend. It means a lot because of how much we invest in each other between phone calls, emails, and face to face time. We have been relationship building for 1.5+ years typically and to be called a friend, not a hired vendor, has really stuck out to me.

 

A2: Their day was perfect because of all of my hard work and they did not have to worry about a thing.

IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT YOUR OWN WEDDING, WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY?

A1: I’d do the color scheme and flowers differently. At the time I loved it, but I’ve evolved a lot more from a designing perspective since then and I think I could have done something way more suitable to our personalities than I knew how to back then. I encourage clients when doing our design services with them to really think about that and ask themselves “is this me?”.

A2: Invite less people and decorate more.  We had roughly 250 people and I used small round fishbowls with glass beads and floating candles that the venue owned.  I did not have time to put thought in any of it with working out of town and 2 kids. Nothing existed like this back when I got married, lol!

THIS HAS BEEN A HOTLY DEBATED SUBJECT AROUND THE OFFICE – SHOULD A COUPLE DO A FIRST LOOK OR NOT?

A:  I vote NO. Personally I didn’t have a first look and will never forget that feeling of seeing him first when I was walking down the aisle. I do agree with a lot of the pros of first look – especially when it has something to do with “having more time to be together before the wedding and enjoy our wedding today together”. But when I hear someone want to do a first look just because their photographer recommends it for timing, I say no. Find a photographer who can work diligently with a shot list post-ceremony, maybe comes with a second shooter to move things along, and by all means get as many separate bridal party photos and portraits done as possible pre-ceremony to only leave “together-shots” after the ceremony.

YOU HAVE A PRETTY EXPANSIVE RENTAL COLLECTION – WHICH ITEM IS YOUR FAVORITE?

A1: Our linens, including full cloths, runners and napkins. A wedding that steps away from white on white always grabs my eye in photos. Investing in a bold or statement linen allows clients to do less from a decor standpoint, including florals, because the transformation in the look of the linen does that! At minimum, we recommend considering a head table, or dessert table to be a different linen inspiration so it can be given the focal point it deserves.

A2: Yard games – small town Michiganders love a good game of Cornhole. We include a custom decal on the Cornhole boards to add to the customization a lot of people look for when planning their wedding vibe.

Feel free to browse their Rental Collection for inspiration ideas!

ARE YOU SEEING ANY TRENDS FOR THIS UPCOMING WEDDING SEASON?

A1: I think color is (finally) making its way back. We’ve been living in a neutral wedding world for awhile, and I’m excited to see a return of vibrant hues, particularly gem-colors.

A2: We’ve seen a shift this last year and think we’ll continue to see in 2022: less traditions! Not a lot of full bridal party announcements, head tables, cake cutting (or having a cake at all), bouquet + garter toss, traditional guest book etc.

HOW HAS COVID CHANGED THE SCENE FOR WEDDINGS?

A: I’m thinking we’ll continue to see smaller guest count weddings and a shift or restructure of their budget to be focused more on the experience. Less guests = more of everything else.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT WORKING AT THE VINEYARD?

A: The seclusion. You’re fully submerged (is that the right word?) in the vineyard and I think that really enhances the experience for guests. You don’t see the parking lot, the road, streetlights, etc. It’s just you and the outdoors.

Check out other unique features of our winery wedding venue!

PHOTO CONTEST! SHOW US YOUR FAVORITE VINEYARD PHOTO.

WHEN PLANNING A WEDDING, WHAT DO COUPLES STRESS ABOUT THAT THEY REALLY SHOULDN’T?

A1:  Perfectly curated playlists. If you’ve hired a DJ or band, give them a smidge of guidance but don’t micromanage the playlist. Let them vibe with your crowd so your dance floor stays packed.

A2: The seating chart. Steer away from assigned seats when possible, to avoid the extra work. Let guests know what table to sit at, but let them choose the seat. In the scheme of it, that close to the wedding, this is a stressor we recommend removing.

A3: Tedious decor details. DIY is fun until it isn’t. Guests remember the food, bar, venue, and music the most.

 

WHAT ARE THE TOP 3 THINGS COUPLES SHOULD CONSIDER WHEN HIRING A PLANNER?

A: 1. How much can you relinquish control and trust someone else?

2. What do you expect from a planner? A personal assistant? No planners are apples to apples.

3. Talk live with the planner and make sure you vibe well prior to signing a contract. We want to match well with you just as much as you. We want our couples to understand who we are and make sure the connection is there live before we are contracting with you.

Bonus: Is the planner flexible on services (a-la cart) or do they only have certain packages to choose from?

Browse 1928’s flexible service options!

WHAT CAN COUPLES DO THAT WILL MAKE PLANNING WITH YOU SO MUCH SMOOTHER?

A1: Be active in correspondence we share and ask us questions. No question is silly. We also want to know all the details and sometimes people think it doesn’t pertain to what we are doing as your planner, but the more we know  – the better. 

A2: Trust that we know what we’re talking about. Trust those you’ve hired that we can make this amazing for you.

And there you have it friends – some great input from the experts! If you want to learn more about this amazing Michigan Wedding Planner – 1928 Planning Co – feel free to visit their website to explore services offered, drool over their rental collection, or even reach out to get more details. You won’t be disappointed.

If you can see yourself working alongside 1928 Planning Co to perfectly execute your Vineyard Wedding, we’d love to hear from you!

Featured Photographers: (in order of photo appearance)

Brick and Pine Photography

Michelle Muliken Photography

Kathy Davies Photography

Santiago Murillo Photography

Sweet Lemon Drop Photography

430 Studios

Alyssa McElheny Photography

Rachael Osborn Photography

Kati Mallory Photography

Meg Van Kampen Photography

Michael Koch Photography

Wedding Vendor Spotlight: CK Catering

Wedding Vendor Spotlight: CK Catering

Every so often we like to give some love to our crazy-passionate fellow wedding professionals. This week’s spotlight shines brightly on CK Catering. Our exclusive partnership with CK has seen us through over 500 Southwest Michigan weddings and counting. So it’s pretty safe to say – we love working with these guys!

A Bit About CK

CK Catering is a family owned and operated business and has been for the past 46 years. They serve many Michigan wedding venues as well as providing fantastic options for corporate events, private parties, and serving hundreds of hungry business men & women each year.

So Many Options

CK is definitely known for their flexibility and custom menu options. This means our couples get the chance to create a wedding menu that suits their taste and CK gets to be creative with new offerings and presentations each year. Want to check out some of their sample menus? Click here!

Among our crew, our favorites are the bacon wrapped dates (believe us on this one – so, so good!), horseradish & parmesan smashed red potatoes, braised beef short ribs, and maple whiskey chicken. And this was difficult for us to narrow down to just these few with all their glorious options!  Hungry yet??

Why We Love Them

There is a lot we can say about working with our friends at CK. The reason we have an exclusive contract with them is very simple – they will make your wedding better and ultimately that’s everyone’s goal. We know our couples will not only love the food, but also because CK is so good at what they do, working with them makes your whole wedding day run like a well-oiled, but super pretty, machine. We know we can rely on them to consistently provide great service, exciting menu options, and satisfied brides & grooms.

What our Couples Have to Say

You certainly don’t need to take our word alone on how great these folks are – so many happy couples have shared their experiences with CK as well. They consistently win “Best Of” weddings awards, have a 4.9 out of 5 star rating on Facebook, and are even in The Knot’s Best Of Weddings Hall of Fame! Feel free to read some of their stellar reviews here!

And if our love and client reviews still haven’t convinced you of CK’s awesomeness – come try for yourself! They will be hosting a group tasting event January 19th! All the details can be found here!

If you have any questions about all CK can bring to your wedding at The Vineyard, just let me know and we’ll get you hooked up!

Looking forward to another lovely year with the whole crew!